Misconceptions
#1- One common misconception when working with students who qualify for special education services is that educators should not set high expectations for them, because they will not meet those high expectations. The reasoning behind this myth is also connected to another myth (described in #2). Many people believe that all students that receive special education services are intellectually disabled and that is not always the case. Because people believe this myth, they then might believe that because of they are intellectually disabled that are unable to do things students in a mainstream classroom can do.
Relating to the Common Core State Standards Initiative, Hallahan, Kauffmann & Pullen (2015) state that, "essentially the Initiative promotes the idea that students with disabilities should be held accountable regarding the general education classroom" (p.40). This means that all students need to be held to the same standards. However, in regards to Special Education some students might need extra supports along the way to help them meet the standards, but they should still be held to the same expectations. Hallahan, Kauffmann & Pullen also mentioned that "the reformers [people who set standards] believed that teachers' expectations have been too low and that all students should be held to higher standards... Failure to teach students with disabilities the same things that are taught in general education has been interpreted to mean that the expectations for these students are lower, resulting in their low achievement and failure to make a successful transition to adult life" (p. 40). For many years teachers have held students with disabilities to lower standards, and the outcome of this is that because of these low expectations the students are not achieving. In 2009, John Hattie published Visible Learning, where he looked at hundreds of different things that effect students in the classroom. Some of these included: teacher-students relationships, questioning, self-reported grades, and expectations. Expectations was listed with the effect size of .43. This means that having set expectations for students increases their likelihood of them succeeding. Therefore it is essential that all students, including those receiving special education services, have high expectations set by educators.
#2- A second common misconception is that all students who receive special education services are severely intellectually disabled. According to Hallahan, Kauffmann & Pullen (2015), "exceptional learners are those who require special education and related services if they are to realize their full human potential. They require special education because they differ markedly from most students in one or more of the following ways: They may have intellectual disabilities, learning or attention disabilities, emotional or behavioral disorders, physical disabilities, disorders of communication, autism, traumatic brain injury, impaired hearing, impaired sight, or special gifts or talents" (p.5). Being intellectually disabled is just one characteristic a person can have to qualify for special education services. There are many other reasons why a student might qualify for special education. Typically, students that receive special education services have was is called an "invisible disability." These are things that cannot be seen by just looking at the student. Some of these "invisible disabilities" include: hearing lost, autism, dyslexia, learning disabilities, and anxiety disorders. Students who have learning disabilities make up about half of all students receiving special education services. Also, Hallahan, Kauffmann & Pullen mention "...the percentage identified as having intellectual disabilities is now about half of what it was in 1976" (p.7). These statements disprove the myth that all students who receive special education services are severely intellectually disabled.
#3- A third common misconception about students who receive special education services is that they do not need to take standardized tests. With the Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSS) and with No Child Left Behind (NCLB), students that qualify for special education services are still required to take standardized tests. Hallahan, Kauffmann & Pullen (2015) state that, "with respect to students with disabilities, the Common Core State Standards Initiative has put forth a statement, 'Application to Students with Disabilities.' Essentially the Initiative promotes the idea that students with disabilities should be held accountable regarding the general education curriculum" (p.40). If "students with disabilities should be held accountable regarding general education curriculum", this means they also need to take standardized tests. With this being said, these students might need reasonable accommodations to help them take the tests. These accommodations cannot alter the content of the general education curriculum or it is not meet CCSS. Some accommodations students might need might include, review of directions, extended time and a quiet room. In addition, Hallahan, Kauffmann & Pullen mention that "...under NCLB and IDEA, most students with students with disabilities are expected to take standardized tests of academic achievement and to achieve at a level equal to that of students without disabilities" (p.15).
#4- A fourth misconception about students who receive special education services is that tier III in the RTI (response to intervention) model, is only for students who receive special education services. The fact is that tier III is the most intense level of instruction for students in the general education classroom. According to Bill East (N.D.), a student who does not respond to this intense instruction MAY qualify for special education services. RTI is when the teacher sees a change in the students academic performance or behavior through instruction. In the book, Exceptional Learners (2015, p. 23), it states that "a student must first receive quality instruction in the general education classroom before a formal evaluation for special education services." As stated above, if a student receives tier III instruction, does not mean they receive special education services. If the students who is receiving tier III instruction continues to struggle, then the student may be assessed for special education services. According to Exceptional Learners (2015, p. 23), it states that "RTI is associated with learning disabilities and academic learning. However, it is not confined to academic learning but can be applied to social behavior as well. RTI is for students with emotional and behavior disorders, intellectual disabilities, autism, and giftedness."
#5- A fifth myth, according to Hallahan, Kauffman, and Pullen (2015, p. 65), is that "professionals need to focus their intervention efforts only on the parents, especially the mother, of children with disabilities." Parents want the best for their children, and having having a child with a disabilities can be very difficult for some parents. However, the parents are not alone. The whole family is there for the child, and there to support the parents. According to Hallahan, Kauffman, and Pullen (2015, p. 67), special education is inevitably a family affair, which includes the siblings, relatives, in-laws, and close friends who may play a role identical to or similar to those of family members. Having a child with a disability can effect all of those people, not just the parents.
When teachers are creating an intervention plan or an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP), they need to keep in mind all of the people that play a role in the students life. Teachers may think that they should only include the parents, especially the mother, of a child with a disability; however, this is not true. According to Hallahan, Kauffman, and Pullen (2015, p. 65), "professionals now believe that the family (including extended family) as well as friends, should be included in the intervention programming for children with disabilities." Immediate family, extended family, and close friends of a child with a disability, can help enhance the child's development.
#6- A sixth misconception, according to Hallahan, Kauffman, and Pullen (2015, p. 115), is that many children diagnosed with a learning disability, will eventually outgrow their disability as they get older and become an adult. A learning disability is a neurological disorder, which is a part of the nervous system. People think that children outgrow their learning disability, because they become more positive and learn to cope with it. According to Hallahan, Kauffman, and Pullen (2015, p. 142), some things that students with learning disabilities can do to help them cope and become successful adults are listed below:
#7- A seventh misconception about students who receive special education services, according to Hallahan, Kauffman, and Pullen (2015), is that "disproportionate representation of ethnic minorities in special education is no longer a problem" (p. 47).
#8- An eighth misconception, according to Hallahan, Kauffman, and Pullen (2015), is "parents who elect not to be actively involved in their child's education and treatment are neglectful" (p. 65).
#9- A ninth misconception about students who receive special education services is "psychosocial factors are the cause of the vast majority of cases of mild intellectual disabilities" (Hallahan, Kauffman, and Pullen, 2015, p. 85).
#10- A tenth misconception, according to Hallahan, Kauffman, and Pullen (2015), is "IQ-achievement discrepancy is a straightforward, error-free way of determining whether a student has a learning disability" (p. 115).
Relating to the Common Core State Standards Initiative, Hallahan, Kauffmann & Pullen (2015) state that, "essentially the Initiative promotes the idea that students with disabilities should be held accountable regarding the general education classroom" (p.40). This means that all students need to be held to the same standards. However, in regards to Special Education some students might need extra supports along the way to help them meet the standards, but they should still be held to the same expectations. Hallahan, Kauffmann & Pullen also mentioned that "the reformers [people who set standards] believed that teachers' expectations have been too low and that all students should be held to higher standards... Failure to teach students with disabilities the same things that are taught in general education has been interpreted to mean that the expectations for these students are lower, resulting in their low achievement and failure to make a successful transition to adult life" (p. 40). For many years teachers have held students with disabilities to lower standards, and the outcome of this is that because of these low expectations the students are not achieving. In 2009, John Hattie published Visible Learning, where he looked at hundreds of different things that effect students in the classroom. Some of these included: teacher-students relationships, questioning, self-reported grades, and expectations. Expectations was listed with the effect size of .43. This means that having set expectations for students increases their likelihood of them succeeding. Therefore it is essential that all students, including those receiving special education services, have high expectations set by educators.
#2- A second common misconception is that all students who receive special education services are severely intellectually disabled. According to Hallahan, Kauffmann & Pullen (2015), "exceptional learners are those who require special education and related services if they are to realize their full human potential. They require special education because they differ markedly from most students in one or more of the following ways: They may have intellectual disabilities, learning or attention disabilities, emotional or behavioral disorders, physical disabilities, disorders of communication, autism, traumatic brain injury, impaired hearing, impaired sight, or special gifts or talents" (p.5). Being intellectually disabled is just one characteristic a person can have to qualify for special education services. There are many other reasons why a student might qualify for special education. Typically, students that receive special education services have was is called an "invisible disability." These are things that cannot be seen by just looking at the student. Some of these "invisible disabilities" include: hearing lost, autism, dyslexia, learning disabilities, and anxiety disorders. Students who have learning disabilities make up about half of all students receiving special education services. Also, Hallahan, Kauffmann & Pullen mention "...the percentage identified as having intellectual disabilities is now about half of what it was in 1976" (p.7). These statements disprove the myth that all students who receive special education services are severely intellectually disabled.
#3- A third common misconception about students who receive special education services is that they do not need to take standardized tests. With the Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSS) and with No Child Left Behind (NCLB), students that qualify for special education services are still required to take standardized tests. Hallahan, Kauffmann & Pullen (2015) state that, "with respect to students with disabilities, the Common Core State Standards Initiative has put forth a statement, 'Application to Students with Disabilities.' Essentially the Initiative promotes the idea that students with disabilities should be held accountable regarding the general education curriculum" (p.40). If "students with disabilities should be held accountable regarding general education curriculum", this means they also need to take standardized tests. With this being said, these students might need reasonable accommodations to help them take the tests. These accommodations cannot alter the content of the general education curriculum or it is not meet CCSS. Some accommodations students might need might include, review of directions, extended time and a quiet room. In addition, Hallahan, Kauffmann & Pullen mention that "...under NCLB and IDEA, most students with students with disabilities are expected to take standardized tests of academic achievement and to achieve at a level equal to that of students without disabilities" (p.15).
#4- A fourth misconception about students who receive special education services is that tier III in the RTI (response to intervention) model, is only for students who receive special education services. The fact is that tier III is the most intense level of instruction for students in the general education classroom. According to Bill East (N.D.), a student who does not respond to this intense instruction MAY qualify for special education services. RTI is when the teacher sees a change in the students academic performance or behavior through instruction. In the book, Exceptional Learners (2015, p. 23), it states that "a student must first receive quality instruction in the general education classroom before a formal evaluation for special education services." As stated above, if a student receives tier III instruction, does not mean they receive special education services. If the students who is receiving tier III instruction continues to struggle, then the student may be assessed for special education services. According to Exceptional Learners (2015, p. 23), it states that "RTI is associated with learning disabilities and academic learning. However, it is not confined to academic learning but can be applied to social behavior as well. RTI is for students with emotional and behavior disorders, intellectual disabilities, autism, and giftedness."
#5- A fifth myth, according to Hallahan, Kauffman, and Pullen (2015, p. 65), is that "professionals need to focus their intervention efforts only on the parents, especially the mother, of children with disabilities." Parents want the best for their children, and having having a child with a disabilities can be very difficult for some parents. However, the parents are not alone. The whole family is there for the child, and there to support the parents. According to Hallahan, Kauffman, and Pullen (2015, p. 67), special education is inevitably a family affair, which includes the siblings, relatives, in-laws, and close friends who may play a role identical to or similar to those of family members. Having a child with a disability can effect all of those people, not just the parents.
When teachers are creating an intervention plan or an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP), they need to keep in mind all of the people that play a role in the students life. Teachers may think that they should only include the parents, especially the mother, of a child with a disability; however, this is not true. According to Hallahan, Kauffman, and Pullen (2015, p. 65), "professionals now believe that the family (including extended family) as well as friends, should be included in the intervention programming for children with disabilities." Immediate family, extended family, and close friends of a child with a disability, can help enhance the child's development.
#6- A sixth misconception, according to Hallahan, Kauffman, and Pullen (2015, p. 115), is that many children diagnosed with a learning disability, will eventually outgrow their disability as they get older and become an adult. A learning disability is a neurological disorder, which is a part of the nervous system. People think that children outgrow their learning disability, because they become more positive and learn to cope with it. According to Hallahan, Kauffman, and Pullen (2015, p. 142), some things that students with learning disabilities can do to help them cope and become successful adults are listed below:
- The ability to set goals for oneself.
- A realistic acceptance of weaknesses coupled with an attitude of building on strengths.
- Access to strong social support from families and friends.
- Long-term and intense intervention.
- Being able to take control of their lives.
- Supportive and understanding work environment.
- DO NOT LET THE DISABILITY RULE THEM!
#7- A seventh misconception about students who receive special education services, according to Hallahan, Kauffman, and Pullen (2015), is that "disproportionate representation of ethnic minorities in special education is no longer a problem" (p. 47).
#8- An eighth misconception, according to Hallahan, Kauffman, and Pullen (2015), is "parents who elect not to be actively involved in their child's education and treatment are neglectful" (p. 65).
#9- A ninth misconception about students who receive special education services is "psychosocial factors are the cause of the vast majority of cases of mild intellectual disabilities" (Hallahan, Kauffman, and Pullen, 2015, p. 85).
#10- A tenth misconception, according to Hallahan, Kauffman, and Pullen (2015), is "IQ-achievement discrepancy is a straightforward, error-free way of determining whether a student has a learning disability" (p. 115).
